ESL Holiday Lessons.com: International Mine Awareness Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

International Mine Day is on or around April the 4th every year. Its official name is International Mine Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The aim of this day is to highlight the dangers of mines around the world and to encourage countries to stop using landmines. Landmines kill or injure thousands of people each year. More than one-third of all casualties and deaths are children. Three-quarters of the world’s countries signed the 1999 Mine Ban Treaty. Despite this, people in over 80 countries live with the threat of losing limbs or being killed by landmines. Those most at risk live in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Many events take place around the world on Mine Day. They include conferences with high-level UN speakers, to mine-risk education workshops, concerts, and photographic exhibitions. In 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave a speech in which he said that the numbers of land mine casualties are “dramatically lower than they were only a few years ago." He added that "each year, mine action programmes around the world are clearing landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching more than 7 million people how to avoid danger”. The children’s charity UNICEF says it’s possible to clear all mines within a number of years. Do what you can to help make this happen.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	on or around	a.	live in Afghanistan
2	highlight the	b.	thousands of people
3.	Landmines kill or injure	c.	April the 4th
4.	More than one-third of	d.	of losing limbs
5.	live with the threat	e.	dangers of mines
6.	Those most at risk	f.	all casualties and deaths

Paragraph 2

1.	Many events take	a.	100 square kilometres
2	mine-risk education	b.	place around the world
3.	clearing landmines from more than	c.	within a number of years
4.	how to avoid	d.	can to help
5.	it’s possible to clear all mines	e.	workshops
6.	Do what you	f.	danger

LISTENING GAP FILL

International Mine Day ________________ April the 4th every year. Its official name is International Mine Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The aim ________________ highlight the dangers of mines around the world and to encourage countries to stop using landmines. Landmines kill or injure thousands of people each year. More ___________________ casualties and deaths are children. Three-quarters of the world’s countries signed the 1999 Mine Ban Treaty. Despite this, people in over 80 countries live ________________ losing limbs or being killed by landmines. Those ________________ in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Many events ________________ the world on Mine Day. They include conferences with high-level UN speakers, to mine-risk education workshops, concerts, and photographic exhibitions. In 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave a speech ________________ that the numbers of land mine casualties are “dramatically lower than they ________________ years ago." He added that "each year, mine action programmes around the world are clearing landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching more than 7 million people ________________ danger”. The children’s charity UNICEF says it’s possible to clear all mines within a number of years. Do ________________ help make this happen.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

International Mine Day is on or __________ April the 4th every year. Its __________ name is International Mine Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The aim of this day is to highlight the dangers of mines around the world and to __________ countries to stop using landmines. Landmines kill or __________ thousands of people each year. More than one-third of all __________ and deaths are children. Three-quarters of the world’s countries __________ the 1999 Mine Ban Treaty. Despite this, people in over 80 countries live with the threat of losing __________ or being killed by landmines. Those most at __________ live in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

limbs
casualties
encourage
around
risk
official
signed
injure

Many events take __________ around the world on Mine Day. They include conferences with high-level UN speakers, to mine-risk education __________, concerts, and photographic exhibitions. In 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon __________ a speech in which he said that the __________ of land mine casualties are “dramatically lower than they were only a few years ago." He added that "each year, mine action programmes around the world are __________ landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching more than 7 million people how to __________ danger”. The children’s charity UNICEF says it’s possible to clear all mines __________ a number of years. Do what you can to help make this __________.

avoid
gave
place
clearing
workshops
happen
numbers
within

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

International Mine Day is on / in or around April the 4th every year. Its official name is International Mine Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The aim / aimed of this day is to highlight the dangers of mines around the world and to encouragement / encourage countries to stop using landmines. Landmines kill or injured / injure thousands of people each year. More than one-third of every / all casualties and deaths are children. Three-quarters of the world’s countries signed the 1999 Mine Ban Treaty. Despite / Spite this, people in over 80 countries live with the threat of loses / losing limbs or being killed by landmines. Those most at risk / risky live in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Many events take place / placing around the world on Mine Day. They include conferences with high-level UN speakers, to mine-risk education / educate workshops, concerts, and photographic exhibitions. In 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave a speaking / speech in which he said that the numbers of land mine casualties are “dramatically lower / low than they were only a several / few years ago." He added that "each year, mine action programmes around the world are clear / clearing landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching more than 7 million people how to avoid dangerous / danger”. The children’s charity UNICEF says it’s possible to clear all mines within a number of years. Do what you can to help make this happens / happen.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

International Mine Day is (1) ____ or around April the 4th every year. Its official name is International Mine Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The aim of this day is to highlight the (2) ____ of mines around the world and to encourage countries to stop using landmines. Landmines kill or (3) ____ thousands of people each year. More than one-third of all casualties and (4) ____ are children. Three-quarters of the world’s countries signed the 1999 Mine Ban Treaty. Despite (5) ____, people in over 80 countries live with the threat of losing limbs or being killed by landmines. Those most at (6) ____ live in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Many events (7) ____ place around the world on Mine Day. They include conferences with high-level UN speakers, to mine-risk education workshops, concerts, and photographic exhibitions. In 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (8) ____ a speech in which he said that the numbers of land mine casualties are “(9) ____ lower than they were only a few years ago." He added that "each year, mine action programmes around the world are (10) ____ landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching more than 7 million people how to (11) ____ danger”. The children’s charity UNICEF says it’s possible to clear all mines within a number of years. Do what you can to help make this (12) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	on	(b)	at	(c)	by	(d)	in
2.	(a)	dangerous	(b)	endanger	(c)	dangers	(d)	endangers
3.	(a)	injured	(b)	injure	(c)	injury	(d)	injuries
4.	(a)	death	(b)	deathly	(c)	deathlike	(d)	deaths
5.	(a)	them	(b)	they	(c)	those	(d)	this
6.	(a)	risky	(b)	risk	(c)	riskier	(d)	riskiest
7.	(a)	take	(b)	make	(c)	wake	(d)	fake
8.	(a)	gave	(b)	took	(c)	did	(d)	put
9.	(a)	drama	(b)	dramatic	(c)	dramatically	(d)	dramatics
10.	(a)	clearance	(b)	cleared	(c)	clearing	(d)	clear
11.	(a)	avoidance	(b)	avoiding	(c)	avoids	(d)	avoid
12.	(a)	happening	(b)	happen	(c)	happens	(d)	happened

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	anodru April the 4th
2.	the dagrens of mines
3.	Landmines kill or injure dhnatusos
4.	live with the atterh
5.	losing mlbis
6.	most at skir
Paragraph 2
7.	UN espakers
8.	Ban Ki-moon gave a ehecps
9.	dramatically eolrw
10.	how to ivoad danger
11.	The children’s caityhr UNICEF
12.	make this ephpan

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The aim of this day is to highlight the dangers of mines around
( )	speakers, to mine-risk education workshops, concerts, and photographic exhibitions. In 2008,
( )	Cambodia, Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
( )	Many events take place around the world on Mine Day. They include conferences with high-level UN
( 1 )	International Mine Day is on or around April the 4th every year. Its official name is International Mine Day for Mine
( )	programmes around the world are clearing landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching
( )	the world and to encourage countries to stop using landmines. Landmines kill or injure thousands of people each
( )	clear all mines within a number of years. Do what you can to help make this happen.
( )	limbs or being killed by landmines. Those most at risk live in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
( )	are “dramatically lower than they were only a few years ago." He added that "each year, mine action
( )	year. More than one-third of all casualties and deaths are children. Three-quarters of the world’s countries signed
( )	more than 7 million people how to avoid danger”. The children’s charity UNICEF says it’s possible to
( )	the 1999 Mine Ban Treaty. Despite this, people in over 80 countries live with the threat of losing
( )	UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave a speech in which he said that the numbers of land mine casualties

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	4th the April around or on year every
2.	dangers the highlight world the around mines of
3.	kill people or each injure year thousands Landmines of
4.	limbs with threat losing live the of
5.	live Afghanistan most risk in Those at
6.	the Many take around world events place
7.	UN with speakers high They - include level conferences
8.	7 how danger than people avoid more million to teaching
9.	possible it’s mines all clear to
10.	what make you this can happen to Do help

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE INTERNATIONAL MINE DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about International Mine Awareness Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about International Mine Awareness Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about International Mine Awareness Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about International Mine Awareness Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about International Awareness Mine Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.

ANSWERS

Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

ESL Holiday Lessons.com English Lesson Plan on International Mine Awareness Day